Current Graduate Student Opportunities

Duties include:

• • Redesign of PALM Graduate Program Website.
  • Establish PALM Graduate Program Social Media presence.
  • Updating the PALM Graduate Alumni database by gathering publicly available professional information on alumni through web searches, social media, etc.
  • Gathering contact information for PALM alumni.
  • Contacting alumni to clarify information and/or to gather missing information or administering a short survey.
  • Inputting information from existing files and new searches into spreadsheet and maintaining up-to-date records.
  • Managing records and electronically filing documents.
  • Help with the organization of Alumni events.
  • Other tasks may include putting together meeting packages, typing minutes, and providing support on miscellaneous projects within the PALM educational programs as needed.

Q. What is the level of complexity of the tasks expected from the student?

A. The tasks expected from the Graduate/Undergraduate Program Assistant are not high in complexity; however, accuracy, confidentiality, strong organizational skills, and effective communication and interpersonal skills are required. Some tasks may involve problem solving skills but would be of moderate complexity. If complex tasks are expected from the Graduate/Undergraduate Program Assistant, clear explanations and directions will be provided by the supervisor.

Q. How does this role relate to the goals of the department?

A. Having a well-designed website and social media presence will help the graduate program attract potential students and will serve existing students.  Having accurate department data is very beneficial and this information could help supplement faculty members’ files. The Graduate/Undergraduate Program Assistant role will ensure that the data to be used for these files are accurate and up-to-date.

Q. What is the level of supervision provided to the student?

A. The successful candidate will report to the Director of the Graduate Program and in the Director’s absence will report to the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Q. What are the impact/contribution of the student’s work to the goals of the unit or program?

A. The website that the student will be working on will directly affect the ability of the Program to recruit potential students and will continue to provide access to our existing students to forms and valuable information. The database that the student will be working on will directly impact the ability of our Program to network with our Alumni. The website redesign and social media presence that the student will be working on will be used as a tool for recruitment of new students into our program and as a communication tool with our students and faculty.

Q. What work have you done as a supervisor/department/unit to create a safe, supportive and inclusive workplace? What supports do you offer to students?

A. We spend time with the student to clarify what the expectations are of the position and what they can expect from their supervisor.  We have regular checkins with the students to ensure they are on course with the project and help address any questions they may have.  We give them an opportunity to try new approaches to the work (i.e. how to use an advanced excel function) and we listen to their ideas. We introduce them to the staff and other students so that they have feel part of the team and we include them in any social activities we have.  For staff safety, we explain what to do if there is a fire alarm and a code white.

Student Learning Components:

Q. What kinds of orientation and training will the student receive?

A. The student will be provided with an orientation initially directing them on the expectations for these projects. They will be provided access to the website, and will also be provided access to the alumni database for updates.

Q. What kinds of feedback and on-going support will the student receive?

A. A bi-weekly meeting with the Program Director and other stakeholders as needed will be held to review progress and address questions as they arise.

Q. How does this job develop and enhance the student’s personal and professional development?

A. The student will develop communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to prioritize tasks, multi-task, verify information and problem-solve. The student will apply summary statistics to various variables related to the PALM alumni and prepare graphs to visualize the data.

Q. How does this job complement classroom learning?

A. The student will be able to apply technical skills in Microsoft Excel for data input and web research skills to source out missing data and to verify data. In addition, the student will develop social media skills and savvy.

Q. What opportunities does this job offer for the student to develop workplace skills or graduate competencies?

A. In terms of research skills, the student will gain knowledge on how to gather, verify, and check data accuracy and completeness. The student will also develop skills in multi-tasking and prioritization, organization and attention to detail, communication and interpersonal abilities, and will experience working independently and as a member of a team. As well, the student will learn how to use social media to gather information and communicate with alumni. These will help prepare the student for real-life work environments.